A Countdown To Thanksgiving
by Carbuncle
Summary: Cloud is given the unfortunate job of finding a chocobo for Thanksgiving dinner.


FINAL FANTASY VII  
  
Countdown to Thanksgiving  
  
"Cloud...? Cloud? ...WAKE UP, DAMMIT!!"  
  
"Waaaaaaa!" Cloud screamed, as he fell out of bed. He rubbed his head and looked up. "Barrett?"  
  
"Yo," Barrett begun, "aren't you supposed to be gettin' us a chocobo for Thanksgiving today?"  
  
"Oh yeah," Cloud said, as he picked himself up off the floor. "I'll... I'll get right on it after breakfast."  
  
"Well ya better hurry," Barrett told him. "I heard they're sellin' out pretty fast over at the Chocobo Ranch. You'll be lucky to get one if ya hang around any longer."  
  
"Don't panic, my old friend," Cloud said, as he put his arm over Barrett's shoulder. "I won't let any of you guys down. Tomorrow's gonna be the greatest Thanksgiving ever, you mark my words."  
  
"Yeah... it better be," Barrett grumbled, as he turned and walked away.  
  
Later that day, Cloud hopped into the buggy and drove over to the Chocobo Ranch. Choco Bill was there to greet him outside the stable.  
  
"Howdy partner!" Choco Bill shouted. "Lemme guess: you've come lookin' for a Thanksgiving chocobo, right?"  
  
"How on earth did you know?" Cloud said sarcastically. "I want the biggest one you've got, please. No frills."  
  
"Well, I'm mighty sorry, partner, but y'see we've had an awful lot of interest in our chocobos this year," Choco Bill sighed.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Cloud asked.  
  
"We don't have that many left to choose from," Choco Bill explained. "Why doncha go talk to my grandson over in the stable?"  
  
Cloud shrugged and entered the stable. Choco Billy and his older sister Chloe were inside. Cloud noticed the place wasn't exactly packed with chocobos.  
  
"What can I do you for, partner?" Choco Billy asked, as he dusted his hands off.  
  
"Uh..." Cloud slurred. "I'd like a chocobo for Thanksgiving, please."  
  
"Sure!" Choco Billy grinned. "We've still got some real nice ones here with us today. Just take your pick and tell me when you've decided which one of 'em ya want."  
  
Cloud wandered over and peered into each stable box. The chocobos inside the majority of them were tired, sick looking creatures. None of them looked particularly appetizing.  
  
"Find one ya like yet?" Choco Billy asked.  
  
"Is this all you've got?" Cloud wondered.  
  
"Yeah, uh, sorry," Choco Billy mumbled. "Most of our best ones went within the first few hours of their arrival."  
  
"I can't take any of these chocobos back to my friends for Thanksgiving!" Cloud said. "They'll chew me up and spit me out if I do!"  
  
"Well I'm afraid these are the only ones we've got, partner."  
  
"Fine!" Cloud snapped. "I'll take my business elsewhere then!"  
  
"Good luck then!" Choco Billy laughed. "Your chances of findin' another Chocobo Ranch this side of town are highly unlikely!"  
  
"You think so?" Cloud paused. "Then I'll just catch my own chocobo out in the wild. You still sell that Chocobo Lure materia, don't you?"  
  
Choco Billy struggled to contain his laughter. "S-Sure! And lots of luck catchin' your wild chocobo! Ha ha ha ha!"  
  
Cloud muttered under his breath as he left the stable and headed off into the countryside with his new materia. He equipped it to his armour and walked around in search of a chocobo. After what seemed like hours, he eventually managed to track one down.  
  
"Ah ha!" he bloated. "I've finally found one. Now all I have to do is catch it."  
  
Cloud slowly crept up behind the chocobo, and pulled out some Gysahl Greens from his pocket. He then tossed the food over to the chocobo, who was busy chewing on the fresh grass beneath it. The chocobo looked over towards the Gysahl Greens, then back down at the grass, and resumed eating.  
  
"What the?" Cloud said. "Why didn't he eat the Gysahl Greens?"  
  
Cloud quietly watched the chocobo for another ten minutes, before it lifted its head up and began to walk off in search of more fresh grass.  
  
"Hey!" Cloud shouted. "Where the hell do you think you're going?!"  
  
The chocobo stared at him in confusion.  
  
"You were supposed to eat those Greens so I could capture you and take you back home for Thanksgiving dinner!"  
  
The chocobo's eyes widened in fear. It then let out a few WARKS! before it turned and ran off into the distance. Cloud shook his head in disappointment.  
  
"I should've just caught it when I had the chance. Damn this Chocobo Lure materia. Damn it to hell."  
  
The next day, back at Seventh Heaven...  
  
"Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!" Cloud smiled, as he presented the party with a cooked to the crisp Mu.  
  
Tifa stared at the Mu. "What... is that??"  
  
"They were all out of chocobos, okay?!" Cloud howled. "Besides, there's less fat in one of these babies."  
  
"...I suddenly don't feel so well." Aeris struggled to swallow the remains of her breakfast as it came back up.  
  
"Ya really messed up this time, didn't ya Cloud?" Barrett said.  
  
"...aw, shut up, Barrett!" Cloud retorted. "Okay, who wants the leg?"  
  
THE END__________  
  
HAPPY THANKSGIVING! HAPPY THANKSGIVING! HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 


End file.
